Digital Commons Network^™

What Do Rural Caregivers Need? Implications Of Formal Service Usage And The Role Of Cooperative Extension Systems, Naomi R. Meinertz, Jeong Eun Lee, Erin L. Martinez, Leacey Brown, Chelsey Byers, Sara Richie, Kathy Tutt

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The well-being of caregivers in the U.S. is a public health crisis. Caregivers experience greater rates of depression, chronic disease, and social isolation; however, the context of rural and urban living experiences creates different caregiving realities. Using two representative datasets of caregivers in the North Central and Northeast regions of the U.S., this paper examined the experiences of rural and urban caregivers in using formal support services. Rurality was negatively related to formal support service usage. Results from a multiple regression revealed a positive association between formal service utilization and caregiver well-being. These findings suggested that formal services can play …

The Impact Of Cooperative Extension Programs On Late Life Mental Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review, Naomi R. Meinertz, Kate Perepezko, Jeong Eun Lee, Mary E. Dozier Phd

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Rural-dwelling older adults have greater mental health disparities with higher rates of depression and anxiety compared to their urban counterparts; however, reaching these communities to understand and address the specific psychological needs of rural-dwelling older adults remains a barrier for gerontologists. Due to the extensive reach of the Cooperative Extension System, university Extension systems are primed to facilitate connections between researchers and rural communities to improve mental health outcomes for older adults. Despite the potential benefits of such partnerships, Extension is largely unknown and underutilized by gerontological researchers, leaving many older adults disconnected from resources available through land-grant universities that …

Creating Intergenerational Connections: A Multilevel Approach For Enriching Lives And Addressing Vital Community Issues, Matthew S. Kaplan, Nancy Z. Henkin

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This article presents an overview of intergenerational programs and practices as an interdisciplinary field of inquiry and practice that fosters open communication, support, and civic engagement across generations. Numerous examples of how intergenerational programs and practices harness age diversity to improve the human condition are presented. This includes initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles, reduce social isolation and loneliness, strengthen families, enrich education and lifelong learning, enhance community quality of life, and transmit cherished cultural traditions and values. This article highlights Extension’s longstanding contributions to intergenerational programming, showcasing notable examples across program areas and exploring opportunities for deeper engagement, co-leadership, and …

Intergenerational Creative Movement Program: A Social Connection Intervention To Foster Health And Well-Being, Claire M. Reardon, Mohammad Khalilian, Amy F. Kostelic, Susan Thiel, Anthony R. Bardo

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

A sense of connection and belonging is widely recognized to be essential for mental health. Yet, since the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness, social isolation, and mental health problems have remained elevated across America. Transitions into young adulthood and older age, while distinct, similarly challenge social connectedness, especially among women. Our multi-lesson education program connected first-generation female college students with college-educated forty-plus women to foster belonging and improve mental health. The program integrated dance as a creative physical activity, promoted intergenerational engagement through a humanistic focus on generativity, and used a social network approach to gauge the development of connections among participants …

Volunteerism After Retirement: An Evaluation Of The Give 5 Civic Matchmaking Program, Amber J. Majeske, Claire M. Growney, Tara O. Johnson, Cora Scott, Greg Burris

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Communities are increasingly focused on leveraging the skills and resources of older adults entering retirement to benefit the community and ensure these individuals remain integrated and valued within society. Launched in 2017, the Give 5 “Civic Matchmaking” Program is an award-winning volunteer recruitment program for near-retirees and retirees that matches participants’ skills and interests with meaningful volunteer opportunities. This study examined participants’ mindsets and perceptions of loneliness before the program, as well as their motivations for volunteering and sense of belonging afterward. Overall, participants in Give 5 improved in empathic concern and in recognizing the need to equip those they …

Empowering Public Employees For Retirement Security: Evidence From A Pre-Retirement Financial Education Program, Suzanne Bartholomae, Mengya Wang

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

The United States is facing a retirement crisis, with eight in ten older adult households experiencing or at risk of financial insecurity (Tavares et al., 2024). National data shows 60% of Americans regularly contribute to retirement accounts, and just 40% have estimated their retirement savings needs (Lin et al., 2022). With approximately 5,900 Baby Boomers retiring daily (Fry, 2019), there is considerable interest in identifying effective strategies and policies to address retirement preparedness. This paper presents evaluation findings from a retirement planning financial education program delivered to 750 public employees by Iowa’s public employee retirement system and Cooperative Extension educators. …

Coarse Salary-Setting And Behavioral Teams, Chengyuan Hua

Economics Faculty Working Papers Series

Among National Hockey League (NHL) player contracts signed in 2011-24, over 38% are divisible by $100,000. This paper shows that the bunching of NHL contracts at round numbers is partly driven by team coarse wage-setting. I first show that teams with more coarse contracts have worse team performance. Then, my empirical results validate two model predictions derived from a wage-setting model in which optimization costs lead to the adoption of rounded wages. With a novel measure of management quality, I document a negative relationship between management quality and coarse salary-setting. Next, I find that coarse salary-setting is associated with higher …

Women Leaders, Personality Traits, Leadership Self-Efficacy, And Leader Role Occupancy, Lisa M. Bragg

PhD in Organizational Leadership

The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to examine the relationships among personality traits (extraversion), leadership self-efficacy (LSE), and leader role occupancy (LRO). Grounded in trait theory and social-cognitive perspectives, the study examined whether (a) LSE related to LRO, (b) personality traits (extraversion) related to LRO, (c) personality traits (extraversion) related to LSE, and (d) LSE moderated the personality trait–LRO relationship. Participants completed the Big Five Inventory (John et al., 1991) and the Multidimensional Leadership Self-Efficacy Scale (Bobbio & Manganelli, 2009). The correlational methodology involved descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, chi-square test of independence, one-way analysis of variance, and Hayes’ …

Fall Prevention #8, Ariel Berumen, Stephanie Hernandez, Karina Ortiz

NURSI 2330 Role of the Nurse II

Fall prevention is key to maximizing positive patient outcomes in-hospital.  Fall prevention at home also plays a large role in a person's overall health. Preventing falls reduces complications related to overall recovery, impaired mobility, impaired cognition, infection, reduced psychological well-being , and cargiver fatigue.  Fall prevention also prevents higher healthcare costs to the patient and the health care system.

Unraveling Equity: The Consequences Of Dismantling Dei Initiatives In Education., James D. Upshaw

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Recent political and institutional shifts have led to the dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives across schools and universities, raising concerns about how these changes affect both students and the future workforce. This research investigates how the removal of DEI programs influences student belonging, academic access, and long-term workforce diversity. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines qualitative interviews with professors and students and quantitative analysis of enrollment, retention, and diversity data from universities affected by DEI policy changes. Preliminary findings suggest that dismantling DEI initiatives leads to decreased student support, reduced faculty morale, and declining representation among …

"It Is Always Too Late For Truth:" Surveillance And Masculinity In "Wide Sargasso Sea", Kaz S. Schofield

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Significant analysis has been done on Jean Rhys’ 1961 novel Wide Sargasso Sea examining gender in relation to the women in the novel, but very little analysis has been conducted on the men. Using the work of Simone Browne, who has theorized how racial categories are maintained through surveillance, I examine how three men in the novel: a white colonist and two mixed race colonial subjects are restricted or otherwise kept docile through their differing masculinity. I argue that it is not only the women in the novel who are oppressed or otherwise disenfranchised by their race and gender, but …

2025 Commencement Program - Fall, Morehead State University. Registrar's Office.

Morehead State Commencement Programs

2025 Fall Commencement program for Morehead State University.

Much Ado About Critical Race Theory, Matthew Patrick Shaw

Washington and Lee Law Review

This Article offers novel observation and critical intervention in the challenge to state laws which have been adopted, allegedly, to prevent the teaching of critical race theory

(CRT) in public schools. Against the trend of recent scholarship that understands these laws as curricular censorship of topical subjects and seeks to contest their validity on those grounds, this Article more accurately identifies them as pedagogical censorship: Limits on teaching methods, which raise different, potentially more dispositive questions about the states’ educational decision-making authority—questions that the U.S. Supreme Court has long sought to avoid. But exposing these so-called “anti-CRT” laws as neither …

Study Of Parental Substance Use Effects On Children, Cydnee R. Lacy

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Many children with substance use and mental health problems witness substance use and mental health struggles in their household. Research has shown a strong connection between parental substance use disorders (SUDs) and the likelihood of children engaging in similar behaviors. Existing literature uses data collected before the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas this study utilizes data collected during the pandemic. It is essential to examine whether the relationship between parental substance use and children’s substance use increased, as children spent more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prevalence of substance use and mental health problems will be used to examine the …

Do Financial Concerns Make Workers Less Productive?, Dua Khowaja

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

Financial stress does not just affect people’s finances; it can change the way individuals behave. This project asks whether short-term financial difficulty damages worker performance or if alleviating it improves focus and accuracy. Using data from a field experiment in rural India, this study examine how labor payment timing variability is related to workers' productivity and error rates. The study randomized payment dates across a sample of employees, so that employees paid early can be compared to employees paid on standard or later dates. It investigates whether subsidy of payments relieves stress and enhances task performance by minimizing stress, enhancing …

Design And Development Of An Intervention To Improve The Quality And Safety Of Pediatric Dental Sedation: A Human-Centered Design Approach, Kawtar Zouaidi, Jan Yeager, Suhasini Bangar, Sayali Tungare, Urvi Mehta, Janelle Urata, Alfa-Ibrahim Yansane, Thomas Tanbonliong, Jungsoo Kim, Emily Sedlock, Krishna Kumar Kookal, Yan Xiao, Tokede Oluwabunmi, Heiko Spallek, Amy Franklin, Gregory W Olson, Joel White, Elsbeth Kalenderian, Muhammad F Walji

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There are gaps in understanding the experiences of children, parents, and providers during dental conscious sedation. This study aimed to capture and analyze these experiences to identify opportunities for improvement and enhance the quality and safety of pediatric dental conscious sedation.

Methods: A human-centered design approach was used to examine the conscious sedation experience in 2 US advanced education pediatric dental clinics. Researchers conducted field observations, interviews with providers and parents, and providers focus groups to explore experiential factors. Data were transcribed and analyzed using content thematic analysis. Insights from the data were used to explore and generate new …

Differences In Cognitive Distortions And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Between Cancer Patients And Healthy Individuals In Light Of Some Variables In The State Of Kuwait, Abdelmotaleb Abdelkader Abdelmotaleb Haggag, Dana Mubarak Al-Azmi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

The study aimed to examine the differences between cancer patients and healthy individuals in terms of cognitive distortions and chronic fatigue syndrome in light of certain variables in Kuwait. The study sample consisted of 250 participants, divided into two groups based on medical diagnosis: the first group included cancer patients, while the second group included healthy individuals. The study adopted a descriptive methodology. Data was collected using a questionnaire that included demographic information, as well as a cognitive distortion scale and a multidimensional fatigue scale. The results of the study showed statistically significant differences between cancer patients and healthy individuals …

Evaluating The Quality Of Support Services For Students With Learning Difficulties: Perspectives Of Resource Room Teachers In The Sultanate Of Oman, Laila Al Salmi, Ibrahim Al Qaryoti, Ali Tekin, Amur Al Aisari, Mariam Al Mamari, Saed Al Saidi

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

This study investigates the quality-of-service provision offered by the Learning Difficulties Programs (LDPs) in Oman from the perspective of resource room teachers. Employing a descriptive approach, a sample of 329 teachers responded to a researcher-designed 49-item questionnaire, assessing six key domains: administrative and technical support, diagnosis and assessment procedures, family-school partnerships, curriculum and intervention programs, educational and technological aids, and behavior modification strategies. Results revealed that teachers held neutral perceptions regarding the overall quality of LDPs across most domains, except for the appropriateness of curriculum content for students with learning difficulties, which was rated positively. The study identified a lack …

Towards A Non-Alienated Philosophical Practice? A Critical Review Essay On The Latinx Philosophy Reader, Grant J. Silva

Philosophy Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

How Does User Control Reduce Irritation Of Mid-Roll Ads, Elijah Villanueva

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Large video platforms like YouTube and Twitch rely extensively on advertising for revenue. Often, they deploy mid-roll advertising: ads that play in the middle of video content, interrupting it. Such interruptions can irritate consumers significantly. This project primarily involves conducting user testing of an already-developed YouTube browser extension that that gives users some control over when mid-roll ads play. We hope to ascertain how effectively the design mitigates user irritation from mid-roll ads. Tasks will involve recruiting people into a laboratory setting where they will use the browser extension, interviewing them about their experience, and manually extracting themes from the …

Romance In Games, Camila Yermin

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

“Romance” is a common genre of books, especially among women, but in games it has a complex reputation: often relegated to visual novels or side mechanics in life simulations or role-playing games. These games rely on heavily scripted interactions, pre-written scenes, or represent relationships as a simple binary in code. This project aims to use cutting-edge embodied agent research and drama management research to build more inclusive, robust, satisfying, and interactive romance game mechanics. The project will likely be in 2D and use the Godot game engine, though the students involved will have the freedom to influence the design decisions …

Emotionally Unstable: Addressing Emotional Distress As A Concrete Injury In Data Breach Cases Post-Transunion, Anna P. Cox

Fordham Law Review

Data breaches and data breach litigation are exponentially on the rise. Plaintiffs whose information is stolen in a data breach often claim emotional distress for fear of future harm the data breach may cause. However, plaintiffs who bring suit in federal court must show that they have suffered an injury in fact for purposes of Article III standing before a federal court will exercise jurisdiction. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez requires that plaintiffs who seek money damages under a theory of risk of future harm show that they have suffered a present concrete injury to …

The Psychology Of Collegiate Basketball: A Review Of The Literature, Paige Ashlyn Bordenkecher

Senior Theses

This literature review aims to further the understanding of the psychological factors that impact the performance of collegiate basketball players. Past reviews have focused on specific performance elements of basketball (e.g. free throws) or how a singular psychological factor affects sports performance; none have focused specifically on the collegiate level of play. The present review systematically collected thirty studies from the databases PsycInfo and SportDiscuss. The following psychological factors were the focus of the literature: player qualities, motivation, feedback, location of play, mood/emotional states, mental fatigue, preshot routine, momentum, sleep, self-talk, self-modeling, leadership, choking, flow, touch, and color. Performance was …

It Just Means More: The Cultural Bond Between The South And Sec Football, Ryan Stinson

Senior Theses

With the success of programs like Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech in the early 1900s, college football quickly became means of establishing Southern superiority over the northern U.S. Their success continued into the 20th and 21st centuries with the creation and rise of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). During and prior to the existence of the SEC, rivalries, traditions, and pageantry developed and thrived in communities across the southeast. These aspects created a unique environment that drew in fans of college football across the region. This resulted in a unique bond between fan, university, team, and community that has thrived within all …

Nebraska Transcript (University Of Nebraska College Of Law), Fall 2025

Nebraska Transcript

Dean’s message

Nebraska Law students achieve outstanding results in competitions

Nebraska Law recognized for excellence in mental health and well-being

Clifton, ’08, honored as 2025 Alumni Master

Uecker, ’25, selected as a 2025 Next Generation Leader

Unexpected path to Nebraska Law leads Haratsis, ’25, to home, calling

Client Counseling program celebrates 50 years

Big Ten law schools present series of panel discussions on rule of law

A reflection of the past six years, College’s strategic plan now complete

A culture of strengths: CliftonStrengths and the College of Law

Celebrating 50 years of Ross McCollum Hall

Johnson studies how election law …

Covid-19 Asian American Oral History Project: Reflecting On Identity And Oral History At A Community College, Thomas Cleary

Publications and Research

In this article, I share narrators’ stories from the Covid-19 Asian American Oral History Project based at LaGuardia Community College, CUNY, to illustrate how Covid-19 and increased anti-Asian hate during the pandemic shaped Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) identities in Queens, New York. Narrators’ stories shed light on how Black Lives Matter impacted their own understanding of race and racialization, particularly as AAPI identity and race relate to the Model Minority Myth. This project also laid the groundwork to develop a broader oral history culture at the college, developing faculty pedagogy to incorporate oral history interviews and interviewing into …

This Or That? Don’T Overthink It: Unh Hosts Psychology Colloquium, Sophie Lorenscheit

Digital Edition

No abstract provided.

Many Stories, One Shape: Narrative Convergence In Ai-Generated Fiction, Marisol Hernandez Brito

IPHS 484: Senior Seminar

Frontier large language models (LLMs) generate fluent outlines but often converge on repetitive structural templates. This exploratory study examined inter-model diversity in thriller novel outlines produced by five LLMs (ChatGPT-5(5.1), Grok-4, Gemini-2.5 Flash, DeepSeek-v3, Claude Sonnet-4.5) under baseline and enhanced prompting conditions (N=50 outlines). Blind AI evaluations revealed moderate inter-model diversity (baseline mean 64.45%; enhanced 58.89%), declining relative to intra-model baselines and between phases, particularly in Protagonist and Plot dimensions. Quantitative and qualitative analysis identified phase-specific convergence: a "forensic procedural" template (analytical female protagonists, corporate conspiracies, Quest/Monster arcs) under the baseline prompt, shifting to a "domestic psychological thriller" template (uniform …

The Colder War: Predicting Government Deception In The Arctic Conflict, Chisom Nnennaya Okorafor

Undergraduate Honors Theses

As rising temperatures increase the rate of polar ice cap melt, the Arctic is rapidly becoming a region of significant geopolitical interest, creating the potential for a revived Great Powers struggle. A key consideration surrounding potential conflict for democracies is the role of official government secrecy in foreign policy decision-making. This particular study examines the intersection of the two topics, creating a model of understanding and predicting U.S. government deception in conflicts. Specifically, this research identifies the gap between internal U.S. government knowledge and publicly broadcasted messaging surrounding the justifications for military and covert action. By analyzing case studies of …

The 10-Year Functional Outcome Of Ponseti Treatment Of Idiopathic And Arthrogrypotic Clubfeet With An Age-Matched Control, Chris Church, Nicole Wang, Stephanie Butler, Jose J Salazar-Torres, John Henley, Freeman Miller, Nancy Carlin, Maureen Donohoe, L Reid Nichols

Faculty and Staff Publications

Background: The Ponseti method is accepted as an effective primary conservative treatment for idiopathic clubfoot (IC) using serial casting, percutaneous Achilles tenotomy, and prolonged bracing. The outcomes of its use in treating rigid clubfoot in arthrogryposis are unclear. This study assesses the outcomes of the Ponseti method in children with IC and arthrogrypotic clubfoot at an average age of 10 years.

Methods: Outcomes of the Ponseti method were retrospectively studied in ambulatory children ages 8.0 to 12.9 years in the gait lab between 2004 and 2024. Children were excluded due to the presence of nonidiopathic or nonarthrogryposis-related clubfoot and history …